Strangers
by Apple Senorita
Summary: Kai is staying away from his uncaring mother, and is spending the summer with his dad and younger brother.wat will happen? and how will kai feel when he realises they've pretty much moved on without him?...i can't get summary to sound rite, or say wat goe
1. You ARE going!

ASenorita: Hello. Yes, it's me again! -big grin-. And to those who read my other stories, then I will be updating Kon, Rei Kon not long from now. I'm at the point where I'm trying to make it make sense.

And I will be putting up Chapter 11 of Surviving Clerkdale High soon.

I hardly think any of you are sitting on the edge of your seats waiting for updates.

Kai: exactly

ASenorita: -death glare- ahem. As I was saying before I was so RUDELY interrupted: I hardly think any of you are sitting on the edge of your seats waiting for updates, but I'd thought I'd tell you where they are.

Kai: I-

ASenorita: IF YOU SAY ONE MORE WORD!  
Kai: OK, OK, calm down!

* * *

Chapter 1 

Kai pushed the green-coloured, flavourless mush around on his plate.

"Don't play with your food!"

He ducked as his mother's hand came swatting down to hit him upside on the back of his head, nearly slamming his face into his disgusting breakfast.

She growled with annoyance, but couldn't hang around to yell at him because she was leaving for work.

"And you don't dare ring any of your little friends. I'll be checking that phone!"  
Kai rolled his eyes. Luckily his mum didn't know or he would of got a slap.

Alexia Hiwatari left the apartment, leaving Kai sat at the glass top table, staring at the meal in front of him. After a pause he snorted and scraped the disgusting meal into the bin. He raided the kitchens for any sort of nourishment. Eventually he settled on an apple and bread and butter.

His mother was a health fanatic, there was nothing unhealthy in the house. Everything was calorie controlled and scrutinized for unhealthy additives.  
Kai felt faint all of the time, since he never found anything to eat in the apartment. He ate his 'breakfast', cleared away all evidence of him not eating his original breakfast, then picked up the phone.

He dialled a number and leant against the small pillar that stood in the centre of the floor to ceiling window. Manhattan spread out around him.

Kai Hiwatari's mother was a multimillionaire business woman. Or, as Kai called her:a rich control freak.

As I think you can see, he didn't get on with his mother at all.

His mum and dad had divorced when he was eight. His younger brother, who had been just going on seven at the time of the divorce, now lived with Kai's dad. Kai had gone to live with his mother in Manhattan, and he hadn't seen and barely heard from his father or brother in those long seven years.

Anyway, back to the phone call.

"Hello, Indy Valkov,"  
"It's Kai, can I speak to Tala?"  
"Of course you can Kai. Tala! Tala get your lazy ass out of bed, Kai's on the phone!"  
There was a pause then the sound of someone fumbling for the phone.

"Kai?"  
"You sound hung-over,"  
"And I ask myself: why aren't you?"  
"I didn't drink the night away like you,"  
"Hm, I should of guessed. If you had of, there would be a murder enquiry at your apartment. Your mum would of garrotted you,"  
"Well, that aside, why don't you get your lazy behind out of bed and meet me in the park. I need to get out of here,"  
"Yeah, sure. Half an hour?"  
"Fine,"  
"So-"  
Kai snapped the phone away from his ear and out of sight. He had heard the front door open and the distinctive sound of his mother's shoes on the kitchen floor.

Without turning around, he noted that she was storming across the room towards him.

"I left without my address book," she said, as she snatched the phone from Kai and cut the connection, "And I'm glad I did,"  
"Why can't I call Tala?"  
"Because I say so!" she half screamed, glaring at Kai with her deep blue eyes that Kai saw slight madness in when she was angry. She gave him a slap and left.

Kai picked up the phone again and dialled.  
"Tala?"  
"Was that your mum?"  
"Yeah,"  
"You need to get away from her Kai,"  
"I know. Meet me in the park,"  
"Sure,"

Tala yawned and stretched on the grass, arching his back.  
"Wow. It's actually sunny,"  
Kai was sat crooked against the tree roots, in the shade.

"So, how's life in the Hiwatari residence?"  
Kai didn't even bother commenting. He simply watched as Tala's large dog Blitzkrieg terrified a Chihuahua.

"Blitz, leave it!" Tala yelled, as the owner tried to hit him to get him to let go of the poor tiny dog's collar, "Come here!"  
Blitz skulked over, and flopped next to his owner, defeated.

"And the Ivanov residence?"  
"Fine. Bryan's still up in Canada with his girlfriend. So my friend, it looks like it's gonna be just you and me this summer-Blitz leave that bloody Chihuahua alone!" Tala roared, although not bothering to stand up and get the dog.

Blitzkrieg gave the little dog a pet on the side and the thing went flying, then he slunk back over.

"As I was saying: we're the only ones here this summer. Going to be good,"  
"Have we got things planned?"  
"Sure we have. Listen to this…"

Kai smeared a look of innocence on his face as his mother came through the front door that evening. It fell as soon as she realised she was on her cell phone and probably wouldn't notice him anyway until late that night when he was hogging the television, and she wanted to watch the news.

Who could she be talking to when she's just spent the entire day with that lot from work? Couldn't she yell at them then? Kai thought, eating a cereal bar he had found in the back of a cupboard.

"I don't care!...no, _you_ listen to _me_ Bruce, I…"  
Kai winced. Great, his mum was speaking to his dad.

"What do you mean 'a control freak'!...of course!...don't you dare!...I refuse…Ok then…but don't think I'm doing this just because of you, I need to get him out of my hair!...fine then!" and she cut the connection savagely with three fingers.

"Your father!" she screamed, pointing at Kai, "Is a bastard!"  
"You've told me," Kai muttered, finishing the cereal bar.

"I can't abide the man!" she ranted, throwing her mobile onto the kitchen counter, "He's a pathetic excuse for an individual!"  
"Why did he call?" Kai asked, ignoring her.

"He wants you to stay over at his for the summer,"

Kai dropped the glass he was holding. It shattered on the kitchen floor.

"_What_!"

"Your father has asked for you to stay in Japan with them for the summer. And I have whole heartedly agreed. Anything to get you out of my hair,"

Kai was still in a state of shock.

But he snapped out of it quick enough.

"No! No, I am _not_ going! I have plans this summer!"  
"I don't care! You're going, next week,"  
"I don't want to go!"  
"So!"  
"This isn't fair!"  
"_Life_ isn't fair! What, did you think I _wanted_ my husband to truly be a pathetic individual, and to have two rebellious children?"  
"You haven't seen my brother in seven years, how do you know he's rebellious?"  
"BECAUSE YOU'RE HIS OLDER BROTHER!" she screamed and slammed her way into her room.

Kai closed his eyes.

Ive,the Hiwatari's maid,came in quietly, and swept up the glass. She glanced up at the young Hiwatari, still standing there with his eyes closed and his back stiff.

"Kai?" she asked, watching Kai, "Do you want me to make you some dinner?"  
All the pent up energy seemed to dissipate out of Kai and his shoulder's slumped.

"No thanks. I'm going to bed. Good night," he said, in a dead pan voice, and left the room.

"Good night Kai," Ive said, just before Kai closed his bedroom door.

Ive sighed.

"Hello, Moko Ivanov speaking,"  
"Can I speak to Tala?"  
"Hey Kai. How are you?"  
"Fine,"  
"Good. I'll get Tala then…Tala, Kai's on the phone!"  
There was the sound of Tala picking up on the second phone and Moko cutting the connection on the other one.

"Hey Kai,"  
"Hi Tala,"  
"What's wrong?" Tala asked, frowning. He'd picked up on the deject tone in Kai's voice immediately.

"Tala…my Mum's just spoken to my Dad,"  
"Your Dad? That's kinda unexpected,"  
"I know. Well…my Dad asked, if I could stay over at his this summer,"  
There was a deep pause, then Tala said, "This summer?"  
"Yeah,"  
"Your Dad?"  
"Yeah,"  
"Well…are you going?"  
"I have to. My mum's put her foot down,"  
"Kai!" Tala was angry. Kai closed his eyes, he knew this was going to happen.

"Tala, I can't help it!"  
"Just tell your Mum 'no'!"  
"Have you _ever_ tried to say 'no' to my mother!"  
"She can't force you to go Kai, just say no to her!"  
"It's not that easy," Kai said, icily. He had a fear that Tala would be like this. He tried to convince himself it was because Tala was worried about him spending the summer at an unknown place, but he knew the truth. Tala wanted his summer with Kai all to himself, and he would be mad at anything who got in the way of that, even if it was Kai. That's what came about beign in such a big group of friends and having two best friends who find themselves tied up with others.

"Kai this is stupid. You can't spend the entire summer away from here, we had plans! You'll be leaving me on my own! This was going to be _our_ summer! And you haven't seen your dad for seven years, why go and spend the summer with him now!"  
Kai didn't say anything.

"Do you _want_ to go!" Tala cried.  
"I don't know. I mean…it'll be weird after not seeing them for seven years, but…it would be nice to see them,"  
Tala was about to start yelling, Kai could tell, so he interrupted, "I can't help it Tala. You go and stay with people for summers and I don't complain. I can't ring my Dad now and say no, can I?"

Obviously Tala thought he could because he slammed the phoned own. Kai sighed. Why was life so complicated right now? He didn't want to argue with Tala, but he knew the boy too well. He would come around eventually and apologise to him and things would be normal. But not quite back to normal until Kai came back after the summer, because they wouldn't see each other.

This summer was going to be eventful, Kai knew that.

He just hoped that a) he could make up with Tala before it was through and b) staying at his Dad's would go as smoothly as possible…

* * *

Apple Senorita: You like?

Please review!


	2. A Stranger I know

ASenorita: Hey! Wow, my first reviewer! And it's you KaiJr91! I love you're reviews, and thank you so much for giving me such a nice review! I really appreciate it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade.

Warning: I'm sorry if this chapters a bit lame, but it's a kind of 'in between' chapter, if you get what I mean. Things start happening in the next one….

* * *

"Take your feet off the dashboard,"

Kai ignored his mother, and kept on with staring out of the window. When he ignored her again, they had a deafening argument, so that when they stopped at the next service station Kai stormed out of the car, slamming the door shut violently behind him.

He went and hid in the magazine rack in a newsagents, wincing against the bright lights of the inside of the service station. He knew his mother would be a while yet. She had to fill up the car, get a sandwich and a coffee, eat and drink them and read a magazine at the same time, then flirt with whoever she saw as she left.

He knew his mother too well.

She found him though, whilst he was skulking around looking for a decent CD and trying not to attract attention to himself.

"Come and eat now," she said, tersely, and directed him towards a small café.

They ate in silence, Kai staring moodily at his sandwich and coffee and his mother, as he predicted, eating her sandwich and drinking her coffee and reading her newly acquired magazine.

Kai could see how tense she was, how annoyed she was at having to go to all this trouble to drop her son off at his dad's house. She hated his father even more than him and Kai knew that taking him there hadn't put her in the best of moods.

"Aren't you going to eat that?" she snapped, finishing off her coffee, "I'm not having you fainting in the car,"  
Kai glared at her until she went back to her magazine then ate the sandwich.

In the car, Kai had his walkman on as loud as she would let him have it. He didn't like to admit it, but he was starting to get nervous.

The night was dark, only other cars lights lighting up the interior of their car dimly. Kai knew he only had an hour or so left then he would see his dad for the first time in seven years. He tried not to think about it, not to work himself up or get too nervous or he would freak out, he knew it.

His Mum was starting to freak out too. She swore over the instructions Bruce had given her, then screamed out her lecture to Kai just before they got there.

"Your father didn't take you in in the first place, if you screw up and misbehave, then he'll never want to see you again. So behave and don't get him ringing me up and complaining. If you're going to be out of my life this summer, I want you COMPLETELY out,"

"Fine!" Kai snapped. He didn't tell her to stop screaming though, he didn't want her crashing the car whilst she slapped him.

They turned up a gravel drive. They were out in the countryside, all they could see was what was lit up by the headlights.

Alexia parked the car, and got out stiffly, Kai following. He was surprised that his heart was pounding.

He got his bag from the boot and followed his mother to the door. It was dark, so he moved slowly along the gravel drive, hoping not to trip over anything. Behind shutters that had been pulled over a big window by the front door, was a bright light, and he could see two shadows moving around. The other lights were off.

"Don't ring the bell until I get in the car," his mother hissed, when they reached the front step. Kai watched as she got in the car. Then he turned to the door. He let out his breath, which he realised he had been holding since he had got out of the car.

He lifted a hand and rang the bell.

There was a moment's pause, then the door opened. Kai was greeted by a tall man with a face so familiar to Kai, but so strange.

Bruce grinned when he saw his son at the door. The same thoughts ran through his head as he took in his fifteen year old son. The boy had grow so much, yet Bruce could see clearly the small seven year old boy in him that Bruce remembered so well.

"Hi Kai,"

Kai blinked. He really don't know how to react to standing there, being in front of his father.

"Hello," he said.

Bruce glanced over his shoulder at the car screeching off down the drive.

"She's not staying around then?"

Kai shook his head mutely.

"Well, we can't have you standing on the doorstep. Come in,"

Kai really didn't regret hearing the sound of his mother's car revving away, and the sound soon vanished when the front door shut behind him.

The hallway was bright. There was a stair case against the right hand side wall in front of him, and a door to his right just at the foot of it. The hall stretched down the side of the stairs and there were three doors down it. The door closest to Kai was open, and he could just see the corner of the sofa, part of someone's leg, and the lights of the television.

There was a commotion in the sofa when Bruce shut the door behind him. There was a cheer and the sound of someone scrambling up. And the sounds of him hurting some people along the way:

"Oof!"  
"Watch it!"  
"OW, you need me in the stomach!"

As the last whine died away, a teenager hurtled into the hall through the door Kai could see through.

He stood at the doorway, vibrant brown eyes wide and alight. The teenager grinned.

"Hey Kai,"

Kai swallowed.

"Hi, Tyson,"  
Wow. Now this was weird. He stared at his younger brother as if he had been greeted with a small furry Martian he was supposed to know. He scrabbled around in his memory for a memory of Tyson, an image of what he looked like. But he was too confused to do it so he gave up and took to taking in this stranger who was his brother.

He had wild bangs of deep grey/blue hair, skin tanned from the sun, and his face was open and bright. He was wearing PJs with a huge jumper over the top.

Bruce couldn't help grinning, the look on both boy's face was picture perfect. Kai looked taken aback and freaked out, and Tyson looked excited and awed, and yet feeling the same weird feeling no doubt Kai was feeling. He remembered how many times Tyson had asked about when Kai was coming, how he had begged to be allowed to stay up even if he was delayed and came really late.

"Well, you can drop your bag Kai and come and get something to eat. Make a hot drink for Kai would you Tyson?"

Tyson nodded, not taking his eyes off Kai. He felt…so odd about seeing him. Kai. His brother. He had bought up any memory he had of Kai the past few days, and he could clearly see the seven year old boy Tyson had once known in Kai. But…he was still a stranger.

'A stranger I know,' Tyson thought, 'It's too weird. I…I just can't explain it,'.

He broke out into a grin anyway and ran into the kitchen, the door on Kai's right. Kai dropped his bag onto the hall floor and followed Bruce.

This was the room with the shutters over the window and bright lights Kai had seen outside.

It was large modern kitchen, and was quiet and cleaned from dinner. Tyson was trying to work a kettle and deal with the fact that his estranged brother was staying for the summer and had just walked through the door. It wasn't working well. It took him five minutes to work out the thing wasn't switched on at the wall.

"Didn't she stick around?" he asked, eventually, turning away from the kettle. Kai picked up immediately on the fact that Tyson didn't say 'Mum'.

Kai suddenly realised the question had been directed at him and he said, "No, she didn't. She…had to get back,"  
Kai heard Bruce huff something, then he got a hot cup of tea shoved in his face. He glanced up over it's rim, to see Tyson holding it, giving him a smile. Kai took it off him before he sloshed it all over his face.

A slightly awkward silence filled the room as Kai nursed his tea. Then a young woman entered. She was wearing a jumper and jeans, and her blonde hair was cut very short. She had blue eyes and delicate features.

"Oh, Judy! Judy, this is Kai,"  
Judy smiled at Kai and laughed, "Well, it's great to finally meet you Kai. I've heard a lot about you as a boy,"

Kai stared.

Who the hell was this!

Actually, why hadn't he thought that same thing when he had heard the people in the lounge? He thought it'd just be his Dad and his brother.

"H-Hello," he said, trying not to look like he'd been smacked around the face.

"Well, Kai, this is Judy,"

Judy.

Judy.

Nope…Kai knew no-one called Judy. And there was no introduction apart from her name, as if he was expected to know her! He blinked and she smiled at him.

"Oh, Tyson, are you making a cup of tea?" she asked, turning to Tyson who seemed to feel awkward and was still stood by the kettle. He didn't reply, he seemed to be taking everything in.

"Tyson?"

No reply.

She sighed and pulled a glass from the cupboard, "OK then I'll have some water,"  
Bruce gave Kai a smile as Kai glanced over at him. Maybe it would be awkward between him and his son, but he hoped things would go well. He hoped too, that Tyson and Kai could get along.

And that Kai would get on with the others.

"Tyson why don't you take Kai his bag upstairs whilst he finishes his tea?"

Tyson nodded.

"Oh!" Judy cried, rushing out, "I forgot to make up the bed!"  
Suddenly, it was only Bruce and Kai in the room. In the distance Kai could hear the sounds of boys talking. It puzzled him. Who was staying over?  
"You'll have to get used to the other boys making lots of noise, they're all pretty much hyperactive,"  
Kai blinked.

Other boys?

What, had this place become a boys boarding school or something?

And who _was_ that woman?

Bruce seemed to register something was wrong.

"Are you alright, Kai?"  
"Oh, yeah, I'm fine,"  
He drank a bit more of his tea.

"Well, I'm very glad you could come over. I'm glad your mother was enthusiastic too,"  
Before Kai could stop he snorted. Bruce smirked, "Hm, well, I see what you mean. She's not enthusiastic about anything but work,"

Another pause.

"Well, I'm glad you got to meet Judy at last. And if you don't see the boys this evening then I'll introduce you tomorrow. I expect Judy's sent them up to bed now,"  
WHO WHERE THESE BOYS!

Kai was getting exasperated now. He really couldn't work out who the hell these 'boys' were meant to be.

"Who?" Kai decided to ask, eventually.

Bruce frowned.

"What…do you?...oh…oh god," he groaned, running his hands through his hair, his face falling.

"Your mother," he hissed, shaking his head.

"What?" Kai asked, frowning.

"She…you don't know about Judy and I?"  
"No. Who is she?" Kai asked, knowing he wasn't going to like the answer.

"Kai…we're married. I remarried three years ago. She had two kids: Max and Rei. They all moved in three years ago. I…I told your mother to tell you! I insisted! I don't believe she never told you!"  
Kai stared at his father.

Remarried?

"I'm sorry," Bruce said, as he was about to leave the room. He had taken Kai up to his room to find Tyson and Judy making the bed. Judy had said she'd send the others off to bed, and then had sent Tyson. Tyson had given Kai a lingering look, as if wanting to do something but not being sure. Eventually he had said, falteringly 'G'night…g'night Kai,'

Kai glanced up at Bruce as he apologised.

"I'm sorry, that I didn't make sure you're mum told you. I mean…" he sighed.

"I don't mind," Kai pointed out.

"Well…we can talk tomorrow. I expect you're tired. Good night Kai," he smiled again, "It's great to see you again,"

He closed the door behind him and Kai was left standing beside his bed.

It was Kai's turn to run his hand through his hair (he now knew where he got that habit from).

He couldn't believe this! It would have been weird enough to get used to his dad and brother again, never mind the extended family! A step-mum, step brothers!

Once he had got over the initial shock he had found it quite funny, actually, having all that family and not knowing about it.

And now, he just had a cold feeling.

For two reasons: one, his mum was sick enough not to tell him that he had a step-mum and two step-brothers, and two, his brother and dad really had moved on and got on with their lives.

And where had Kai got? Into a load of trouble, that's where, and found himself in a load of screw ups which, by the way, he had no intention on re-telling to his dad.

_They_ had made their own family, their own little circle. Without him.

Kai had been stuck with the one person in the family who seemed to enjoy emphasising the fact it was broken and messed up, whilst his brother had stayed with the one who believed in family love and values.

He had such a cold and empty feeling when he got into bed and thought about it.

Had they really moved on so far without him?

------------

BEEP

"Hey Kai it's Tala…well, I guess you're asleep, since you're not picking up. Or you're still mad at me, I don't know, but it is five in the morning I suppose. Well, I'm still pretty mad at you but I rang to see if you were OK, if you got there OK and if you were alright….I'm on the way to my sister's gymnastics competition, and I'm bloody knackered and bored. Ring me back whenever you can. See you Kai. Oh, and by the way… :good luck. Bye,"

* * *

ASenorita: I'm sorry, this is a pretty boring chapter I know, but it explains things and it's kind of an 'in between chapter' that I hate writing. Sorry if it bored you!

And I can't explain Tyson and Kai's feelings well. It's just that they know they should know each other and so be able to compare them to when they were kids but they can't, because in their memories they were so close but in reality they look different and they don't know each other.

Something like that!

Kai: you make very little sense.

Apple: I hope you realise I'm not talking to you and that i hate you


	3. Chapter 3

Kai gave a little groan under his breath as he slipped into consciousness. As his senses came back to him, he began to realise there was a really heavy weight on his chest. He frowned and opened his eyes.

Two pairs of eyes stared down at him, and two cold noses were pressed against his own. Kai jumped and yelled in shock, and the things on his chest meowed and barked and leapt off him playfully. They landed on the edge of the bed and sat watching him, wagging their tails, thinking the game this new comer had started would be continued straight away.  
Kai stared at them as if he had never seen a cat or a dog before.

The cat was a pure white with jet black markings, and a smokey grey face. The dog was a border collie, who sat looking at Kai expectantly with it's ears pointing upwards and it's tail quivering.

Kai wasn't used to animals. Not that he didn't like them, but he just wasn't used to them. Back at home with his mum, there would be no way that Kai would have been allowed a pet. Not even a goldfish would be allowed to cross the threshold of the Hiwatari apartment.

"Lei, Jinx, get out of there," a black haired teenage boy stood at the door which must have been knocked open when the animals came in. A faint colouring came to Kai's cheeks as he realised he was sat in the middle of a crumpled pile of duvet with no shirt on, and probably a bleary and confused expression on his face. Remembering that his hair always stuck up like cacti prickles in the morning, he coloured even more.  
"Sorry," the boy said, swiping up the cat and shooing the dog off down the corridor, "I suppose they're used to just barging into everyone's room,"  
"It's OK," Kai said, trying to ignore the possibility of alarming bed head. Before the boy could say anything, Tyson skidded up from behind.  
"Whoa! Hey guys! Morning Kai!...hey Kai, you're awake, great! Breakfast is ready, come on!" Tyson yelled, beckoning madly with a hand and disappearing down the corridor.

Kai wondered whether his brother was always like that.

"He is," the other boy said, simply, "I'm Rei, by the way. This is kind of weird, isn't it? Being stepbrothers and not seeing each other until now,"

Kai felt like he had been shot in the gut. Of course! It hadn't taken too much to remember where he was when he woke up that morning, but he had completely forgotten about the extra details like the fact his _mother had forgotten to tell him that his Dad had remarried and had God knows how many children!_

"Uh, yeah," Kai said. Rei gave a small smile.  
"We've got the summer to sort that out though. Well, as Tyson says, breakfast is ready. You should get dressed and come down, or you'll end up having to eat scraps that Tyson has had the self-control to leave behind,"

He walked away, still holding the cat.

Kai nearly ran back upstairs the moment he got downstairs. Surely breakfast wasn't like this in normal homes! Tyson and a blonde haired boy were yelling and giggling and screaming and talking to each through huge mouthfuls of food, the black haired boy Rei was sat next to Tyson feeding his cat some of his breakfast, and his Dad and that woman Judy was trying to eat amongst all of this.

Kai sidled in, sliding passed Tyson's flailing arms and sitting quietly at the end of the bench around the big wooden dining room table, that looked like it had been made from beach wood.

It was a while before anyone noticed him, even though he had asked his Dad to pass the sugar, and Tyson a spoon.

"Oh Kai, there you are!" Tyson cried. Kai winced. Honestly, if Tyson ever stayed at his for the summer, their Mum would send Ty off to a finishing school in France or somewhere. His manners weren't exactly the best.

Tyson fidgeted as it came to the end of the breakfast. He was conscious of Kai's presence, which was an odd feeling after all these years. He didn't mind it, it just…felt odd to him. One side of him wanted to throw his arms around Kai and cry and tell him how much he had missed him. And yet the other half of him felt like Kai was a stranger.

It was very confusing.

"Tyson, weren't you going to go to the lake?"  
"Oh yeah!" Tyson snapped out of his daydream and leapt up from the table.

"Maxy lets go and get the others!"

Kai thought for a horrifying minute they meant going to get _other siblings_ Kai had yet to be introduced to. But he was comforted on that note, when he saw Max and Tyson running wildly across the field just beyond the garden at the front of the house.

"Where are they going?" he asked.

"Our friends live across the fields," Rei answered. He was still feeding the cat.

"Rei don't feed Lei at the table,"  
Rei sighed and dropped the cat on the floor. He said something about going to get his shoes and left Kai with Judy and his Dad.

"So, did you sleep well?"

"Yes," Kai said, simply, really not knowing what to do now. His Dad smiled.

"Don't worry, Rei will probably be back to drag you off somewhere, and Max and Tyson will be back soon,"

Oh yes, that all sounded very comforting.

After a few minutes, Kai could see Judy was trying to get his Dad to talk about something. She kept giving him looks, nudging him, even muttering his name under her breath warningly. He blatantly ignored her until she stamped on his foot.

"Ah! Kai, are you serious about your mum not telling you I remarried?"

"She didn't tell me anything,"

His Dad looked ill.

"Really?"  
"Yes,"  
"I don't believe that woman sometimes,"

Kai gave a little cough and glanced at the ceiling. He'd heard his Dad say that before. It brought up memories from the back of his mind of his Dad muttering to himself in the lounge whilst his Mum fumed in the kitchen.

Rei re-entered the glowing kitchen, his cat tagging along behind him, playing with his dangling shoelaces.

"Do your laces up Rei, you'll break your neck,"

Rei sighed and bent down to tie them sloppily. Just as he was finishing and the cat had got bored and started to paw at Kai's leg, Max and Tyson burst in through the front door, two others in tow. Kai shook the cat off him and followed Rei out of the kitchen.

"Bye boys! Be careful!" Judy called.

Kai swallowed.  
"Kai, this is Brooklyn and Kane,"

They both smiled as a hello, eyes shining bright and panting. Max rolled his sleeves up, hot from the run, and beamed.

"Come on then, lets go,"

The four bustled out of the front door, the sounds of their footsteps resounding around the house as they trotted off down the gravel driveway. Rei followed at a more sedately pace, Kai trailing along behind. The black-haired boy gave Kai an apologetic look.

"They always go down to the river. It's one way to pass the summer,"  
Kai could think of plenty more, but he didn't say anything. He simply nodded, wishing he was with Tala somewhere back home, passing the summer together and amusing themselves in their own way.

Up ahead, behind drooping willow trees that shadowed the middle third of the driveway, the boys were dragging out bikes from a rickety old wooden shed, painted an egg blue. Kai cocked an eyebrow.

'Oh no,' he thought, 'First their past time's are skipping around the fields like something from Little House on the Prairie, and now I've found they like to do that on bikes,'

Kai watched as Tyson stared at him from where he sat side-saddle on his bike.

"Coming Kai?"  
Surrounded by the Prairie Boys, as Kai now liked to call them, he couldn't exactly say 'no' to his younger brother, could he?

Problem was, they all had bikes. Kai didn't. And there was no way he was making himself look like a lunatic by running along beside them.

Brooklyn's fiery orange hair, pretty similar to Tala's, reflected the beams of the sun and all their faces were bright with enthusiasm, apart from maybe Rei's, who was just mildly amused at the whole situation.

"Yeah, sure," Kai said. Tyson smiled, although he seemed to still look uneasy around Kai.

"Right then, lets go,"

Tyson wasn't obviously bright enough to work out that Kai had no bike but as they all disappeared into the huge fields of overgrown wild grass that surrounded his Dad's home, Kai knew he had to go anyway. He slouched off behind them, wondering how he ever got caught up in this.

* * *

Kai couldn't possibly conceive how walking through a field was fun. But the Prairie Boys seemed to be having a good time. Up ahead on their bikes, they were mucking around in the dim light of the evening, the midges swarming close to them in the warm muggy air. Whilst Kai trudged along behind. He was bitten everywhere, his legs hurt, he now knew what a water snake was and what an un-pleasurable experience it was to have one on your lap, and that Tyson's dog Jinx seemed to think Kai was some sort of dog basket. The stupid dog would just come up to him and try and lie on him. He was covered in dog hairs.

How could his first day gone so badly? He was hot, miserable and bitten to within an inch of his life. He couldn't remember what he had thought the summer would be like, but definitely not like this.

'I thought I was supposed to be getting to know Tyson,' he thought, finally reaching the driveway the field sloped off, and hanging around whilst Kane and Brooklyn said goodbye, 'But all I know is that his dog seems to think of me as his new plaything,'

Kai soon found out the bathroom in the morning resembled the bathroom in the evening. It was ten o' clock before he got some time in the bathroom to himself. He changed and brushed his teeth, listening to Tyson and Max race each other down the corridor and back up again until Judy shouted at them to go to bed.

Later, when Kai was playing aimlessly on his phone, Tyson came in. He sat down wordlessly on the end of the bed.

"Hey Kai," he said, once he had got himself comfy in Kai's comforter, "You enjoyed today?"  
"Yeah," Kai lied, not wanting to hurt his younger brother's feelings.  
"Dad said you didn't know anything about Judy or Rei or Max. Did you really?"  
"I knew nothing. Mum never told me anything,"

"Why didn't she tell you?"  
"She's bitter, Tyson. She's not the kind of person whose decent in any way,"  
Tyson stared, "Really? Dad said she was alright-"  
"Well he was wrong. She's terrible. She didn't tell me anything. You're lucky to have got to live with Dad,"

Kai winced. He had sounded too snappy then, as if it was Tyson's fault.

"Sorry,"  
"About what?"  
"Nothing,"

There was a pause. Kai put his phone down in front of him.

"Why do you think I got to stay with Dad?"  
"I don't know. Flip of a coin?" Kai shrugged. A ghost of a frown came over Tyson's face then he said:

"Do you mind that Dad picked me? Not you? I mean, you said you didn't really get on with Mum,"  
Kai looked everywhere but Tyson's face, unsure what to say. Sure, he'd thought about why he got lumped with their obsessive, paranoid and controlling mother, and Tyson their laid-back, loving Dad. When he was little he assumed it was because his Dad liked Tyson better, which hurt almost more than having to leave his brother and his Dad.

"Look…I'm tired Tyson. I'm going to go to sleep,"  
"Oh, OK," Tyson said, nodding a little too hard. He stood up, trying a smile.

"See you in the morning then. Mum said we have to go to town, so you can come along if you want,"  
Kai nodded. He didn't feel like speaking, he just wanted to go to sleep. Tyson left, pulling the door shut behind him. The dog Jinx barked and began to paw at Kai's door. He could hear the soft sounds of music coming from Rei's stereo in his room, muffled to allow the rest of the house to sleep. Kai curled up under his duvet and put his phone, still on, on his bedside table.

BEEP  
"Hey Kai, it's Tala. Look, are you still angry at me, because I thought you'd have rung back. Anyway, moody-ass, I heard from Bryan. His girlfriend's had about five fits of hysteria within the space of two hours over the tiniest things so he's sick of her. He says he's coming back earlier than he thought but he doesn't know when. I think he'll come back single. I'm doing absolutely nothing these days so I don't care if you hate me, _call me_. I'm bored as hell. My family's latched onto me in my weak and vulnerable state and I've been dragged to every bloody gymnastics tournament and ice skating performance. I know it's only been a day or two since you left but I am close to killing myself. So….so bye….and call me back when you get this.

BEEP

* * *

AS: you like? 


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